This is a double album compilation, with tracks selected by
invitees, all of whom are mentioned by name - five pages of
them! - alphabetically in the booklet. The orchestra’s
artistic director Paul Dyer also made a selection, and he chose
a live 2009 performance of brief excerpts from the choir and
orchestra’s Mozart Requiem.

The reason for the disc is the coming of age of the Australian
Brandenburg Orchestra which, when it reached twenty-one, invited
the selection of favourites enshrined in this twofer. It’s
a charming sort of idea that will also have a rather wider appeal
in the world of (mostly) Baroque Favourites, of which there
is a super-abundance.

What I like about this band is its lack of gimmicks. Good tempi
are set, string weight is apposite, and there are no bulges
on held notes or ungainly swellings. The Allegro from the G
major Brandenburg Concerto sports zesty lower strings and there’s
a sane tempo for the Queen of Sheba. In a world increasingly
spattered by outlandish speed record attempts on pieces like
this, one can say a little prayer for Dyer and his forces. Two
of the band’s wind principals shine in their contributions;
Craig Hill in a live Mozart Concerto for (basset) clarinet,
and Kirsten Barry in the lovely Albinoni slow movement; all
Albinoni slow movements are lovely but this one is especially
so.

Of the vocal soloists, I’ve reviewed the Yvonne Kenny
album from which her Lascia ch’io pianga derives
and I still think the ornaments are grossly overdone. Cyndia
Sieden is rather screechy in her Magic Flute aria. Andreas Scholl
is in a different class in Vivaldi. Sara Macliver and Belinda
Montgomery make a pretty soprano pairing in Stille Nacht.
There are two movements from the Four Seasons, in the very capable,
though not terribly moving, hands of Elizabeth Wallfisch. The
second disc explores some entertaining terrain. The Falconieri
Folia has tangy percussion on board, Scholl reappears
in more Vivaldi and Macliver is pure-toned in Purcell. Mina
Kanaridis makes two remarkable appearances in anonymous pieces
of intensely dramatic stripe. The flamenco-gypsy flourishes
of the Passacaglia andaluz are amazing and the percussion
and harpsichord make this somewhat wild selection a riveting
one. Calm balm follows via Es ist ein Ros’ entsprungen.
The Mozart Requiem extracts - about four minutes in total -
are lithe and exciting.

There are certainly some entertaining and enjoyable excerpts
here. It’s not just for the ABO clan.

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